Russian State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin

BISHKEK, April 8. /TASS/. Turkey plays a role in international affairs that is far from stabilizing, Russian State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin said on Friday.

At the roundtable on historical and cultural aspects of Russian-Kyrgyz relations, Naryshkin said: "The pan-European tragedy of the First World War was exacerbated by the events of 1916 that became a common tragedy for the peoples of Turkestan. Thousands of people of different nationalities died then - Kyrgyz, Kazakh, including Russian settlers. We remember about this," Naryshkin said.

He added that one "should also remember about external destabilizing forces." "There is evidence, documented evidence, that Germans and Turks took part in organizing the unrest. Using slogans on alleged national and religious intolerance in Russia, Turkey tried to destabilize the situation in Turkestan, Transcaucasia, Volga Region," Naryshkin, who also heads the Russian Historical Society, said. "One hundred years have passed but today this country plays a role in international affairs that is far from stabilizing," he noted.

"Dramatic events on this land in 1916 require a professional discussion based on documented evidence and deep scientific understanding," Naryshkin stressed. "We cannot allow political speculations based on historical ignorance," he concluded.